Every Board Member’s Responsibility As I wrote last month in Identifying Potential Board Members for Your Nonprofit, every board member should play an important role in introducing prospective board members to the nonprofit and cultivating their interest in it. It may take as long as several … [Read more...]
Identifying Potential Board Members for Your Nonprofit
April 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Last month, in our continuing series on strengthening your agency’s board and volunteer leadership, I detailed the basic responsibilities of a board member and outlined how to begin “Assessing the Current Makeup of Your Nonprofit Board.” This month, I will focus on the ways in which you … [Read more...]
What Donations Are You Missing?
March 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Mid-sized and small organizations often say they want, no - they need - to raise more money. Any consultant worth her salt could probably find two or three lost opportunities. Here are a few examples. Prospect Research Most nonprofits understand the significance of researching a new donor to … [Read more...]
Assessing the Current Makeup of Your Nonprofit Board
March 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Last month, in our continuing series on strengthening your agency’s board and volunteer leadership, I outlined the specific responsibilities of the committee on governance and leadership development. Board Member Responsibilities One of the first tasks of this vital committee is to review the … [Read more...]
Assuring the Best in Nonprofit Management: The Committee on Governance and Leadership Development
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The single most important committee of a nonprofit organization’s board is its committee on governance and leadership development (whatever it may be called). It is charged with identifying and successfully engaging the future leadership of the agency. Regrettably, in many nonprofits, about … [Read more...]
Tip of the month: Hooray for Nonprofit Consistency
January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Often, our articles focus on the areas that are lacking in a nonprofit. How to improve yourself How to strengthen staff development How to engage your board members in the development process How to get your campaign unstuck, etc. But don't forget to recognize your strengths. Why not … [Read more...]
A New Year…A New Chance for Stronger, Effective and Productive Board
January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Tonight—if you are reading this on January 3, 2012—begins the formal portion of the quadrennial, but, truly, never-ending quest for the Presidency of the United States. For the next ten-plus months, we will hear about leadership and its importance. Regardless of your politics, even if you are … [Read more...]
Challenge: Board Development
August 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Finding new board members is always a challenge. Best practices say that instead of an ad hoc nominating committee that meets a month before the annual meeting, you have a year-round committee on governance and leadership development constantly identifying, engaging and educating new leaders. … [Read more...]
Nonprofit Finance Committee 101
June 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In many nonprofits, the few people who specialize in finance review the budget and the rest of the board nods – without any real understanding either of the information, let alone the specific role of the finance committee. Here is a brief overview of what ought to be expected: The finance … [Read more...]
What Does Board Diversty Mean To You
April 15, 2011 By
While reading the Chronicle of Philanthropy I noticed an opinion piece called, “Why Aren’t Foundation Boards More Diverse?” I think it caught my eye because I was sitting at a meeting just a couple of days ago when the question of board diversity came up. The initial conversation was the … [Read more...]